Buckle.



N0. 686,934. Patented Nov. I9, |901. G. N. CLARK.

BUCKLE.

(Application led Aug. 2, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE NEWTON CLARK, OF DRYRIDGE, KENTUCKY.

BUCKLE.

SPEGEICATION formng'part of Letters Patent No. 686,934, dated November 19, 1901.

Application led August 2., 1899. Serial No. 725.909. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE NEWTON CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dryridge, in the county of Grant and State of Kentucky, haveinvented a new and useful Buckle, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to buckles, and more particularly to that class of buckles known as tongueless and which are generally used upon harness; and ithas for its object to pro- Vide a buckle which can beV quickly and cheaply made and readily fastened or released and operates to prevent slipping of the parts after theyhave been coupled or assembled in conjunction with a strap or straps.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numeral indicates a corresponding part in each of the views in which it occurs, Figure 1 is a plan view of a buckle embodying the invention and shown in operative connection. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the parts detached.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 respectively indicate the frame and coupling member, each of which is in the form of a plate. The frame is perfectly fiat and is provided with two transverse slots 3 and 4, one near each end, the slot 3 being longer than the slot 4E, and the coupling member 2 also has two slots 5 and 6, the rear one, 6, being preferably' broader than the slot 5. The frame 1 is wider than the coupling member 2, so that in assembling the parts the main portion of the said member is passed through the slot 3 of the frame until it is stopped by shoulders or projections 7 7, formed at the end of the member adjacent the slot 5 and produced by cutting away the edges of the latter for the entire length of each side from the said shoulders or projections. The end walls of the slot 5 are bent or curved to such an extent that the extreme end 8 or portion beyond the slot will stand above the main portion of member 2 to permit the main portions o f the two parts to lie approximately at against each other on one side and the opposite end portions to lie fiat against each other on the other side. Vthen the two parts are thus arranged, the member 2 is permanently secured to a portion of the harness by passing a strap 9 through the slot 6 and securing it in the usual manner, and thus form a lock to prevent the separation ot the said parts of the buckle until after it has been removed. To secure the end of an* other strap 10 to the buckle, it is rst passed up through the slots 3 and 5, then back and down through the slot 4 and, if desired, through the slot 6,which is made broad enough for the two straps. Anystrain upon the strap 10 will cause it to engage with the front wall of the slot 3, which is preferably formed sharp to move readily from a biting edge to holdand cause the frame 1 to slightly move longitudinally upon the member 2.4 This movement ofthe frame Will also cause the rear wall of slot 8 to force the strap against the front wall of slot 5, which is also the rear wall of the end Yportion 8 of the member 2. It will alsomake the rear wall of the slot 4 engage with the end of the strap 10 and force it against the front wall of the slot 6, thus clamping the said strap firmly in two places. The bend of the strap in being passed through the two sets of slots will assist in holding the strap within the buckle.

If the rear portion of the frame 1 is forced away from the member 2 by the interposton of the free end of the strap between said parts, the pressure of the strap upon the under side ot' the front of the frame will cause the latter to act as a lever, using the lugs 7 as fulcra, and thereby the frame made to clamp the free end of the strap more tightly between it and the member 2. This tendencyof the rear portion of the frame to separate from the member 2 is also partially overcome by the engagement ofthe front and rear walls of the slots 3 and 5 with the top and bottom, respectively, of the strap that is between them.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- A buckle comprising a perfect ly-tlat metallic frame-plate 1 of rectangular form and having transverselyextendiug rectangular slots 3 and 4 adjacent to opposite ends, the slot 3 being longer than the slot Il, and a coupling member 2 also flat for a greater portion ot its IOO length and having one end struck up and curved over so that the eXtreme end portion 8 will horizontally bear on the upper portion of one end of the plate l, the side edges of the member 2 being cnt away almost their entire length to form the opposite side projections 7, the struck-up end of the member 2 and the adjacent portion ot' the latter being formed with a slot 5 and the opposite fiat extremity also provided with a slot 6, the plate l being wider than the member 2 and the distance between the end Walls of the slot 3 of said plate 1 being approximately equal to the distance between the cutaway side edge portions of the member 2, whereby the end portion 8 may be inserted through the slot 3 of the plate l when obliquely arranged and locked in connection with said plate when horizontally disposed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE NEWTON CLARK.

Witnesses:

JERRY ATKINS, A. D. BLAINE. 

